Many salons in the last decade have been revenue focused and much less operationally focused, which is essentially the gas and break systems in your business.

There truly was a ‘F**k it’ moment when I realised I had to tell my story. That I could no longer put it off, the time was now.

Times have changed. The Salon Industry has changed beyond all recognition. I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years, and in that time it’s completely revolutionized but I’ve seen a lot of our industry struggling with the change and in a fear response taking it out on those who are growing and adapting with the changes.

The world has shifted in recent years, where people can easily work for themselves, and they can start businesses practically overnight.

I’ve found with neurodivergence, you’re consistently trying to fit your mind into a box that just doesn’t fit. You’re working to organize it like everyone else's, trying to make everything function just as it should, but it doesn’t work like that. Your brain is a unique one and needs to be treated as such. Realistically, you're never going to be able to control it, and that’s okay because once you understand the way your brain works, you can step into your strengths rather than trying to ‘fix’ your so-called weaknesses.

We've all seen the economy change quite drastically over recent years. Companies moving towards having a profit-focused mindset. Even start-ups have started to lean into the ‘let's go for profit’ or ‘let's break even’ approach, all to preserve the market during the disruption.

Within the Salon industry, so many of our salon owners are getting left behind in terms of technology advancements, simply because they don’t understand it. There’s a huge disconnection between the technology companies who provide business-advancing solutions and owners who are holding back out of fear of the unknown.

Strategy should be an afterthought as a startup.

Because at the beginning stages of any business, there is no real strategy. You simply don’t know enough. There's only, just f**king go and figure it out. Strategy on the other hand is about the enhancing or tweaking of a current plan to gain more revenue or customers i.e. taking steps towards your north star. Steps that can only happen when you have something that exists already or you have something to keep referring back to.

The only relationship which truly matters is the one you have with your business but not in the way you might think. So today, I want to talk about the complex and often confusing relationships founders build with their teams, businesses and themselves.

Many times during my working week, I ask myself the question: is my neurodivergence is a superpower? Or is it in dispite of my disability that I am destined for greatness? That because I'm irrational, impulsive, confident, and hyper-focused, these are what make me successful?

It’s a time of evolution for the Salon Industry, with both technology and human behavior pushing through big changes. So to kick-start the new year, here are my four predictions for 2024 for the Salon space.

We live in an age where we’re on the go 24 hours a day, non-stop.

Whether it’s answering emails, attending meetings, your best friend’s engagement party, sorting out your taxes, catching up with that new tv show, talking to your kids about what happened today at school, hiring new team members, scrolling through TikTok, talking to your accountant….you get the picture. We are the generation of entrepreneurs who are bombarded from all sides, at all times, by everything.

Let’s begin by establishing an understanding of what’s informing profit creation in the Salon industry. We have the service portion of our salons, which is cuts and color with treatments, styling etc, which is the major component supported by the smaller high-end retail products portion.

As we enter December, the energy for reflection is upon us. For those who follow the Jan-Dec calendar, this is the time of year when work slows down and people take time to rest as the seasonal holidays kick in.

When markets turn, it’s easy for an investor to connect with those they already know and are comfortable with. It’s safe and I understand why they do it, but I believe this is the perfect opportunity to uncover those hidden gems of the investment world.

In early September 2023, someone I admired greatly passed on from this world. A man who inspired me and countless others to follow our hearts and not be afraid to stand out from the crowd. Here I want to tell you about a man, who I loved deeply and will miss greatly.

My mentor, my friend, Kim.

I’ve always said, SalonScale is powered by the industry. Our goal is to provide value to every step of the supply chain, including the supplier. The needs of our customers are always a priority, but so are the needs of the suppliers.

Now more than ever, the choice to choose one’s destiny is becoming an option for millions of people. The world, and the power in it, has shifted. From employees showing up for a wage at the end of the month to a system that supports one’s sovereignty. We have more control in our lives than ever before.

I never expected to own award-winning tech business, or that one of my oldest clients would become the investor that would enable me to revolutionize an industry for the better.

Both are true, but where did it all begin for me.